Title page for ETD etd-12142001-153940

Evaluation of Outcomes of a Single-Sex Educational Program at an Elementary School

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name

Title

Parks, David J.

Committee Chair

Hawkins, Wilbert D.

Committee Member

Sughrue, Jennifer A.

Committee Member

Twiford, Travis W.

Committee Member

Wiita, Teresa C.

Committee Member

Keywords

Single Sex Classes

Achievement

Gender

Education

Attendance

Date of Defense

2001-04-24

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to evaluate outcomes of a single-sex program at an elementary school in Portsmouth, Virginia. Evaluation criteria were (girls' and boys' feelings about being grouped into single-sex education and coeducational classes, (teaching behaviors, (3) student achievement, (4)student attendance, and (5) student misbehaviors.

There were four measures of feelings in this study: feelings about the teacher, feelings about relationships with classmates, feelings about school work, and feelings about the classroom climate. Four one-way ANOVAs with Scheffe's post-hoc comparisons were conducted. Results of the post-hoc analyses revealed that the single-sex male class had more positive feelings about the classroom climate than the single-sex female class.

Teaching behaviors were evaluated through the use of the Hopkins Observation Report Form. Teaching behaviors in two single-sex classrooms and coeducational classrooms were observed and reported using one-way ANOVAs in three areas: interaction, influence, and non-verbal messages. No differences were found in the frequency of teaching behaviors used in single-sex and coeducational classes in any of the areas.

Student achievement was evaluated using pre- and post-test scores from the Tests for Higher Standards by Flanagan and Mott (1999). The single-sex female, single-sex male, & coed A classes had higher science scores than students in the coed B class. Students in the single-sex male and single-sex female classes had higher social studies scores than the students in the coed B and coed A classes. No differences were found in the performance of the three class types on the math achievement test.

A one-way analysis of variance was conducted to identify differences in absences among the four class groups. Results of Scheffe's post-hoc comparisons showed a difference in absences between the coed A class and the single-sex female class, the single-sex male class, and the coed B class. In all cases the coed A class had more absences per student.

Student misbehavior was reported in four categories: (1) opposition to authority, (2) disrespect, (3) disturbance to the class and peers, and (4) altercation. More misconduct referrals were reported from the two coeducational classes when their data were combined.